Spatial and temporal abundance patterns of oceanic chaetognaths in the western North Atlantic—I. Hydrographic and seasonal abundance patterns

Abstract

Chaetognath abundance was measured from 38 MOCNESS tows collected in the western North Atlantic from August 1975 to November 1977. Twenty-one species were identified from 18 slope water (SW), 18 northern Sargasso Sea (NSS) and two Gulf Stream (GS) tows. Sagitta elegans, S. hispida and S. megalophthalma were collected in only one or two tows. Eukrohnia bathypelagica, E. fowleri, E. hamata, Sagitta helenae, S. macrocephala, S. maxima and S. tasmanica are significantly more abundant in the SW than in the NSS. Krohnitta subtilis, Pterosagitta draco, Sagitta bipunctata, S. decipiens, S. hexaptera, S. lyra, S. minima, S. planctonis and S. serratodentata are significantly more abundant in the NSS. Krohnitta pacifica and Sagitta enflata show no significant abundance differences between the SW and NSS. Most species show at least an order of magnitude abundance difference between the SW and NSS, with intermediate GS abundances. A simple mixing model and previous reports of chaetognath distributions in the North Atlantic indicate that most species have expatriate populations in either the SW or NSS or in both regions. Increased temperature and food abundance probably limit SW species from the NSS, while decreased temperature and increased predator abundance probably limit NSS species from the SW. Spring abundance peaks were observed for many species in the NSS, but no seasonal peaks were detected for species in the SW. The spring abundance peaks in the NSS are probably due to increased food abundance, although temperature could not be ruled out as an important factor.